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MOFU: Development of a MOrphing Fluffy Unit with Expansion and Contraction Capabilities and Evaluation of the Animacy of Its Movements

Robots designed for therapy and social interaction aim to evoke a sense of animacy in humans. While many studies have focused on life like appearance or joint based movements, the effect of whole body volume changing movements commonly observed in living organisms has received little attention. In this study, we developed MOFU MOrphing Fluffy Unit, a mobile robot capable of whole body expansion and contraction using a single motor enclosed in a fluffy exterior. MOFU employs a Jitterbug geometric transformation mechanism that enables smooth diameter changes from approximately 210 mm to 280 mm with a single actuator, and is equipped with a differential two wheel drive mechanism for locomotion. We conducted an online survey using videos of MOFU behaviors and evaluated perceived animacy using the Godspeed Questionnaire Series. First, we compared stationary conditions with and without expansion contraction and with and without rotational motion. Both expansion contraction and rotation independently increased perceived animacy. Second, we examined whether presenting two MOFUs simultaneously would further enhance animacy perception, but no significant difference was observed. Exploratory analyses were also conducted across four dual robot motion conditions. Third, when expansion contraction was combined with locomotion, animacy ratings were higher than for locomotion alone. These results suggest that whole body volume changing movements enhance perceived animacy in robots, indicating that physical volume change is an important design element for future social and therapeutic robots.

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